On Gaea
by Lee Hart
Summary: an abused girl gets taken to Gaea
1. chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't in any way own Escaflowne! That privilege belongs to the writers and whoever else worked on it!  
  
Please R&R!!!!!!!!  
  
~*~  
  
I caked makeup around my puffy black eye and covered the new rope burns around my wrists. Mother and stepfather had gotten drunk again. After mother passed out I was at stepfather's mercy, and when he's drunk he didn't have any to share.  
  
Carefully I threw my make-up in my blue duffel, which I quickly locked in my closet. I grabbed my school bag and headed out to the bus. If anyone noticed that I ever got hurt no one said anything. I had no friends. I pushed everyone away when mother married that awful man that was now my stepfather.  
  
Mother never believes when I tell her of the things that he does to me. He denies it, and she believes him.  
  
Hope is gone.  
  
I watched my feet as I walked out into the cold morning air to the bus stop to take me to school. How I hate school, but it's better than being at home.  
  
I looked down at myself. My jeans were an inch short and in last year's style, my shirt was old and faded, mother cut my hair in that ugly bowl shape and my shoes were a size to small. My family could afford to buy new clothes and shoes if mother and stepfather didn't spend all their money on beer.  
  
As I drew near the chatter of the other's stopped. They'd been talking about me again. They always do. They just don't understand what's going on inside me. They don't understand how much it hurts when they talk. But at the same time it's kind of interesting to see that they never seem to get hurt as much as I do. perhaps their beating father was nicer? More lenient than mine?  
  
I stepped onto the bus and sat in the first seat. Not even glancing at the faces that stared. It seemed that everyone knew me as *that girl whose parent's beat* as if it was something different. Just about everyone guessed, but no one did anything and I am too afraid to say anything to anyone besides what would it matter if I said anything? Doesn't everyone's parents beat their kids? If I did say something and stepfather found out.... I don't want to think of what he would do to me.  
  
At school I got off the bus and headed for the baseball fields. No one went out there during class the perfect place to spend my ditch-day. The day after a particularly bad night I always ditch school, at school. So my parents never find out and I don't have to be embarrassed in every class with students asking a million questions about my rope burns and my new black eye. I tried to hide with make up but it make up never completely hides any cut, bruise, or burn I get.  
  
I threw my backpack on the ground and lay down on the bleachers to watch the day tick slowly by. Slowly I drifted of to sleep.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I woke with a start sometime later something had tickled my ear. I sat bolt upright with a small scream. "What happened? Where am I? Am I still dreaming?" I shrieked looking around me.  
  
I was in a dense forest with birds singing in the trees and a slow cold rain fell from a clouded over sky. "Ack!" I said throwing my hands over my head in a futile attempt to cover my head from the rain. I scrambled to my feet and started to run only to trip and fall smack on my face. I looked over my shoulder to see what had tripped me and saw a duffel bag... the blue bag that held all of my prized possessions. "How...?" I said aloud knowing that for the bag to be here was impossible, wherever here was. ~I didn't bring that to school; it should be locked in my closet at home. Shouldn't it?~ I thought standing up and pulling the bag over my shoulder. "Where am I to go?" I said looking around as the rain steadily increased. "I don't even know where I am!" futile tears threatened to come, but I fought them away. I just turned and started in a direction. Not knowing where I was going or if this... place. was going to be better or worse than home.  
  
The sun sank below the horizon and the rain continued to fall steadily, not showing any sign of let up. I was cold, hungry and lost. ~What am I to do?~ I thought as the light slowly disappeared. It was foolish to continue on in the dark... who knew what was lurking in the dark?  
  
As the last light disappeared I stumbled into a clearing with a large blue lake at the center. ~perfect~ I thought settling down against a tree trunk near the water's edge. Knowing sleep would be hard to come by I huddled down and tried to stay warm.  
  
~*~  
  
Review!!!!!! 


	2. chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't in any way own Escaflowne! that privilege belongs to the writers and whoever else worked on it!  
  
To those who had started reading this before I changed her name to Faith from Kyra!  
  
R&R!!!!!!!!! thanks to all who have!!!!!  
  
~*~  
  
"Hello." called a man's voice that startled me to awareness. I looked up rubbing the sleep from my eyes, taking the last of my make-up with it. "What are you doing out here?" the voice said again.  
  
I looked up, before me stood a man with long blonde hair, dressed in. chain mail? I stared at him, speechless. He squatted down before me, "You don't need to be afraid, I won't hurt you." He smiled. He had a great smile.  
  
"I-----I'm-- l---lost." I stuttered. Staring at him bewildered, ~what kind of place is this?~ I thought as the man reached out a hand to help me stand. Awestruck I took his hand and immediately regretted it, "Ahhhhhhh" I screamed pulling back away from him.  
  
"Are you hurt?" He asked concern plain in his voice.  
  
"Y---yes" I said bewildered that he cared.  
  
"Let me see. Please?" He said reaching towards me again.  
  
Slowly I brought my rope burned wrists forward. The blonde man gently took them and examined them closely. "You need a healer." He stated, "Will you come with me?" He asked looking into my eyes.  
  
I nodded, slowly, not to sure if I should, but knowing it was either that or stay here in the forest, alone.  
  
Gently he helped me to my feet, He looked at my clothes but made no comment. He offered to carry my bag for me, but I declined wanting to keep it close.  
  
"What is your name?" He asked as he led me over to where a man with a small boat waited.  
  
"Faith."  
  
"I'm Sir Conner Schzar. You may call me Conner, Faith."  
  
"Thank you." I said not really sure what I should say. He helped me into the boat and sat beside me as his man paddled us across the lake.  
  
"It's no trouble."  
  
"Where are we?" I asked when we were about a fourth across the lake.  
  
"On the Asturian border." Conner said watching me. 


	3. chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't in any way own Escaflowne! That privilege belongs to the writers and whoever else worked on it!  
  
Also thanks for the reviews you peoples are great! R&R  
  
~*~  
  
I stared at the blonde knight sitting across from me in the boat. "Where's Asturia?" I asked stumbling over the unfamiliar name. The lake water slashed at the boat sides in a slow soothing pattern.  
  
Conner looked briefly shocked that I had never heard of Asturia before. "On this planet, Gaea." He responded  
  
My eyes grew wide in shock, "Ga--ea." I stuttered as the realization came to over me that I was no longer at school dreaming, not in America, heck not even on Earth! I had no knowledge of how or why I was here on this planet Gaea. A tear started to creep down my cheek at the hopelessness of it all but I quickly swatted it away. I looked away from Conner ashamed of my tear.  
  
"You needn't cry Faith," Conner said reassuringly "I'm sure Queen Hitomi of Fanelia will know how to get you back home." he gently touched my shoulder causing me to look back at him.  
  
"Hit---Hitomi?" I asked surprised, that was the name of a girl who had disappeared years ago but her family, at least her mother, believed she was safe and happy where she was.  
  
Conner raised his eyebrows "Have you heard of her?" he asked surprised.  
  
"Only if her last name's Kanzaki. Her mother was on 'Its a Miracle' a week ago telling about how her daughter had disappeared one day but always found a way of showing her family she was safe and happy. Hitomi never came back in person but when her parents were about to go bankrupt they found a block of gold and a white feather sitting on the table when they woke up." I said knowing this was finally something I could talk intelligently about.  
  
"Very interesting." Conner said lost in thought. "What is 'Its a Miracle'?" He asked.  
  
This time I looked at him surprised, "Its a TV show on Pax." I replied.  
  
"TV? Pax?" he asked.  
  
"I guess you don't have that here." I said with a shrug.  
  
"We must not." Conner agreed. "I've never heard of TV or Pax before," he said watching the water curiously.  
  
"What do you do?" I asked swiping a lock of blonde hair out of my eyes.  
  
"Isn't that obvious?" He said not looking up from the sloshing water.  
  
"Not to me... I'm not from around here remember?" I said getting irritated with this place.  
  
"Right, sorry, I forgot myself." Conner said looking up. "I'm a Knight of Asturia, I travel around keeping the peace as well as doing special tasks for the Asturian Royalty. Right now my men and I are stationed here to protect travelers through the forest and around this lake." He said proudly.  
  
Before I could say anything more we reached shore and Conner's man hopped out of the boat and pulled the boat up on to the shore. Conner got out and offered me a hand as I stood. I took it just as I tripped over the side falling against him with a yelp.  
  
"That was quite unexpected." Conner said with humor in his voice.  
  
I looked up into his eyes. "I didn't do it on purpose." I said upset that he, a dashing knight, would laugh at me.  
  
"Of course not." he said his eyes crinkling with withheld laughter.  
  
"Let me go." I said angrily pushing him away. Surprisingly he released me immediately.  
  
"I am sorry Faith." He said now looking at me his face blank. "I was only jesting."  
  
"I have an attitude problem." I said totally serious.  
  
"Come let us break fast." Conner said changing the subject completely.  
  
*I'm glad he didn't push the subject.* I thought with relief *I don't want to talk about it.* I sighed and followed the two men over to a decent looking two-story building. Hoping I knew what I was doing and doing what I should.  
  
How would one know what to do when they learned that they had been taken from everything they knew, no matter how bad, and thrust into a world where everything was unfamiliar?  
  
~*~  
  
What would you do??? huh?? huh?????  
  
REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't in any way own Escaflowne! That privilege belongs to the writers and whoever else worked on it!  
  
Also thanks for the reviews you peoples are great! R&R  
  
~*~  
  
Conner held the door open for me, to my surprise, as we entered the two- story building. An intense noise hit me like a shock wave causing me to pause and survey the room. The room we were in was large and held so many people it was hard to believe the sun had just rose. Enticing smells assaulted my nose. Eggs, bacon, ((AN: not sure what they eat but it works right?)) toasted bread and things I didn't know what they were! Surprised at the bustle I looked up at Conner, he just smiled and started weaving through the tables to the one that sat closest to the fireplace and dance floor. Conner held a chair for me and I sat uneasily. It felt like every eye was fixed on me, examining me. Conner ordered a bowl of porridge for both of us as he sat down across from me.  
  
"Don't worry about my men." He said softly. "They've been away from civilization for a long while now. They are just excited." I started fidgeting with my napkin looking out the corner of my eye at the men. "Do not fret." Conner said taking my trembling hands into his strong steady ones. "They would not dare to touch you."  
  
"Sure." I said giving him a steady smile though my hands wouldn't stop shaking.  
  
Then the porridge arrived and we ate in silence. A smile was plastered to Conner's face and I just sat there uncertainly eating the brown porridge that reminded me strongly of Cream of Wheat from home. Home, a chill swept through me causing me to drop my spoon.  
  
"Are you unwell?" Concern coloring Conner's voice.  
  
"I'm fine." I said, "Just thinking about home." I let the sentence drag out with a frown.  
  
"You miss it?" Conner asked placing his spoon in his empty bowl.  
  
"Not really. My home isn't the greatest place to be. My parents aren't very. good-mannered." I said leaning my elbows on the table and resting my head in my hands.  
  
"That sounds dreadful."  
  
"You don't know the half of it." I said  
  
"I would if you told me."  
  
I shook my head leaning back against my chair and crossing my arms. "Not yet I won't. I don't even know you. You're lucky I've trusted you enough to come here with all these dirty men staring at me." I waved my hand at the men who turned their heads away when I mentioned them.  
  
"Relax Faith. I did not mean anything by what I said. I am merely curious about you." Conner said holding his hands out in front of himself defensively.  
  
"I know. Its just frustrating." I said with a sigh.  
  
"Shall we go see the healer?" He asked changing the subject entirely much to my relief.  
  
I nodded and he stood pulling my chair out when I stood. I rolled my eyes at this custom and followed him back through the crowd of men to the back of the room where a staircase lead up to the second story.  
  
Up we went, then down a hall to the very last room. It seemed to me that there was no possible way to fit all the men from down stairs into this Inn. There didn't look like enough rooms! The room they entered was swept clean and smelled of herbs. A little gray haired man sat in the corner mixing powders in a bowl. "I've been expecting you." He said his voice scratchy like he had just eaten a bowl of dust.  
  
Conner didn't look surprised at all by this as he said, "I thought you would be. It seems that you know what I'm going to do before I do."  
  
The gray haired man laughed sounding like an old crow. "At times my boy, at times."  
  
He divided the powder into two bowls and added a different foul smelling liquid to each as I watched uncertainly. He beckoned me forward but I hesitated unsure.  
  
"Don't be afraid child." He said in his scratchy voice. "You are in a healers place, no harm will come to you."  
  
"I'm not a child." She said walking over to the gray haired man.  
  
"Of course your not." He said chuckling.  
  
He took some of one of the pastes and started applying it to my rope burned wrists. He carefully smoothed the foul smelling blend soothing my painful burns. He then methodically wrapped my wrists in white linen strips.  
  
He wiped his hands on a clean towel and said in his raspy voice, "The other is for your bruises I see those on your arms and that on your eye. Are there more that your clothes hide?"  
  
I nodded slowly thinking about the bruises that were scattered over my body from my beatings.  
  
"Conner will you find your sister and bring her here? I'm sure Faith here will prefer my nurse attending to her now."  
  
I stared at the old doctor as Conner left "How--?  
  
"How did I know your name?"  
  
I nodded  
  
"I just did. A pretty name it is too." He started bustling around the room straitening his jars and bowls of different colored liquids and powders telling me what each was and what its use was.  
  
I nodded after each one not really paying attention to the old man. It seemed that he was more talkative than he first appeared. When he was telling her about a dark green powder Allen came in with a blonde haired girl dressed in brown leather pants and a white shirt with a brown vest over it. She could have been taken for a man if it weren't for her long golden hair.  
  
"Hello Faith." She said pleasantly, "Morning Boren." she said to the doctor.  
  
He smiled, "Morning Cecilia. I trust Conner told you why I sent for you?"  
  
"Yes, I am to apply a Eisurb paste to Faith's bruises."  
  
"Yes, yes. The paste is in the dark brown bowl. We'll come back when you're done." He said ushering Conner out the door.  
  
Cecilia brought two stools out of a corner of the room and said, "Here have a seat," placing the stools down in the center of the room under the single lamp that lit the room. I did as told cautiously. I didn't know what to expect from this woman. Her brother was nice and so was the doctor but the men downstairs were frightening and this woman looked tough, as tough as her brother.  
  
"Relax, I'm not going to eat you." Cecilia said laughter in her eyes.  
  
I tried to relax taking deep breaths and counting to ten. Neither worked.  
  
She sat on the second stool across from me the bowl of Esiurb paste on her lap. She dipped two fingers in it and said, "We'll start from the top and work our way down alright?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Close your eyes." she commanded.  
  
I closed them guessing that she was going to apply the paste to my black eye first.  
  
"Can you talk? You haven't said a word since I got here." she said as the cold paste touched my eye.  
  
"I can talk." I said not giving any reason why I didn't before. Heck I didn't even know why I wasn't talking to her. I should be more comfortable around another girl than with the old doctor or with Conner.  
  
"Is it true that you're from the Mystic Moon?" she asked her voice colored with excitement.  
  
"If its Earth, yeah." I said  
  
"You can open your eyes now." She said "Do you have Bruises under your shirt? If so you'll have to take it off so I can apply the paste."  
  
I opened my eyes, turned my back on her and slowly removed my shirt. She gasped at the sight. My back was almost one big bruise new purple ones overlapped the yellow old ones making a sort of rainbow.  
  
"Who did this to you?" She asked carefully applying the Esiurb to my back.  
  
"Father." I said spitting the word out like venom.  
  
"Your father did this to you?" she asked non-believing.  
  
"He's not really my father. He's my stepfather. And yes he beat me. So? Don't they all?"  
  
The blonde woman's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates "Certainly not." she said, "My father never beat me, neither did anyone's I have ever known. It's against the law to continually beat a child."  
  
I looked at Cecilia a little surprised. I had noticed that not everyone came to school as bruised and hurt as I did, but beating being against the law? That was new. I had never thought of that. "Do-- do you think--- that it's the same back home?" I asked a little afraid that it wouldn't be.  
  
"I certainly hope so." Cecilia said "I've never been there or thought to ask Hitomi about it."  
  
"What's the punishment, here for beating someone?"  
  
"Well.... the child is removed from that situation and given to another family to live with. The beaters are taken to the local authorities and most get sent to prison."  
  
"I hope that's the same back home. If I ever go back." I said  
  
"Is that the lot of them?" Cecilia asked  
  
I nodded and put my shirt back on.  
  
~*~  
  
Hey guess what I want you to do now?  
Tired of guessing? REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!! They didn't put that little button there without a reason! 


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't in any way own Escaflowne! That privilege belongs to the writers and whoever else worked on it!  
  
Also thanks for the reviews you peoples are great! R&R  
  
~*~  
  
"Hmmmmmm...." Cecilia said looking me over as she replaced the bowl on the far table. "You know you stand out in your foreign clothes, you might want to consider borrowing something from myself."  
  
I looked down at my old jeans and said, "That sounds good to me."  
  
Cecilia smiled, "If you like, we could do something with your hair as well."  
  
I smiled, a small smile, but a smile nonetheless. She opened the door and led me down the hall to the first room by the stairs.  
  
The room was whitewashed, a small window looked out on the lightening lake, a bed with drapes around it was pushed into the corner opposite the window, two chairs sat in front of the hearth that contained a dieing fire, and the rest of the room was taken up by a large wooden wardrobe.  
  
Cecilia walked right over to the wardrobe opening a set of doors to reveal several pretty dresses. I scowled not liking to wear dresses. Cecilia looked over at me, "Don't like those? Neither do I. Conner thinks that I need to own some to remind me that I'm a woman. Not that I could forget." She closed that section of the wardrobe and moved on to the next revealing soft leather pants like the ones she was wearing and leather boots lining the bottom of the wardrobe. "Here lets see what will fit you..." Cecilia started shifting through the pants; she chose two brown pairs that looked to long for me, a black pair that looked a little small and a dark forest green pair that looked like it would fit best. She placed these on one of the chairs then went back to the wardrobe shifting through the boots until she selected three pairs two brown and one black. The blonde woman put these with the pants then went back to the wardrobe opening the last section. The last section was divided in half. The first half held hats and cloaks. The second half was divided into drawers. Cecilia dove into the top drawer and pulled out three white shirts. After putting the shirts with the pants she opened the next drawer and pulled out a brown vest and a dark forest green one. She turned to the collection on the chair and said, "You should be able to manage the trying on with out me. I'm going to hunt down a pair of shears for your hair. All right?"  
  
I nodded and she left. I worked quickly trying on the clothes. The black and the green pants fit fine but the brown were too long, as I had guessed they would be. Two of the three shirts fit fine the other's sleeves were too long. Both of the vests fit fine. Surprisingly I had two new outfits. I dressed in the green pants, one of the white shirts and the green vest. I felt great in my new clothes. Dressed in these new clothes I looked at the boots. I was going to have new shoes! The black pair fit comfortably and I smiled, a true smile.  
  
Cecilia came back in then a pair of scissors in her hand. She smiled seeing me dressed. "Good choice." She said, "The green brings out your eyes."  
  
I blinked. "I didn't do that on purpose. I like green." I shrugged changed the subject. "So what can you do for my hair?"  
  
Her smile seemed to grow in amusement as I neatly changed the subject but she went along with it, "Well since your hair is only to your nose it'll be hard but I'll start by cutting it out of your eyes..." Cecilia sat me down on the chair that didn't hold any clothes and cut the black hair that hung in my eyes away. "That's better, now I can really see your lovely green eyes." She started clipping away at my hair I sat frozen so she could do her work.  
  
When Cecilia was done she went to the wardrobe and came back holding a large mirror. She held it up and I could see my brand new haircut and my vanishing black eye. My black hair looked really cute; I smiled again and looked up at Cecilia "Thank you, thank you so much."  
  
"Your welcome, by the way that'll be five silver pieces." She held out her hand expectantly.  
  
I started at her hand my smile vanishing, "What?"  
  
She laughed taking her hand away, "Got you."  
  
I laughed with her. I was happy and amazed. I hadn't been this happy for years. Not since father left and mother remarried that awful man that was now my stepfather. I stopped laughing but kept smiling looking into the mirror. Looking at my new face, my new self.  
  
Cecilia gathered up the clothes that didn't fit me and put them back in the wardrobe, leaving the clothes that fit on the chair.  
  
"Now what?" I asked her handing her the mirror.  
  
"We'll have to ask Conner that. He's probably dispatched a messenger to the capital telling of you and asking permission to take you to Fanelia to see Queen Hitomi."  
  
"So I can go home." I said secretly hoping that there wasn't a way.  
  
"Aye. To get you home. If you want to return." She returned the mirror to its place in the wardrobe. Closed the doors and said, "Lets go find my brother."  
  
I nodded and followed her out. We went first down stairs to the main room and asked around. We were directed back upstairs to his room. Cecilia knocked on his door twice without an answer. "Interesting... lets try the stables." Cecilia said leading me back down stairs and outside. Once we reached the stables we saw him. Tall and blonde talking quickly to a dark haired man mounted on a horse looking impatient. The man nodded once and walked his horse past us nodding quickly to acknowledge us. Once he was past he kicked his horse into a gallop and was off.  
  
"I see you've dismissed the messenger, pray tell us what message was sent?" Cecilia asked approaching her brother.  
  
"Just that I found a girl while I was out on a scouting mission and she needs to be taken to see Queen Hitomi as soon as possible." He shrugged. "We shouldn't be denied. Nothing has happened in this corner of Asturia in years."  
  
"What's our game plan in the mean time?" Cecilia asked.  
  
"The only thing we can do is wait and make sure that Faith, here, is treated as a guest. By the way good idea to wear clothes from here." he added the last part looking at me.  
  
"It was Cecilia's idea." I said giving her the credit that was hers.  
  
"A very good one." Conner added.  
  
"I thought so." Cecilia said.  
  
~*~  
  
Now guess what. REVIEW!!!!! 


	6. Chapter 6

Chap 6  
  
The next five days went by in a blur. Cecilia taught me to ride a horse without being terrified to death that I might fall, that it might run, that something might go wrong at all. One of Conner's men, Tern by name, started teaching me to throw daggers and by the end of the five days I wasn't too bad at it.  
The sixth day, as far as I could tell was a Saturday and this particular Saturday was a day of celebration followed by a traditional county-dance. Most of Conner's men, including Conner and Cecilia herself, were traveling down to the county town of Formosa where the celebration would take place.  
"Cecilia you must wear a gown! It is a party, you can't go dressed as a man!" Conner was saying to Cecilia in the next room.  
"Conner you know I don't like to wear them! I'm old enough to dress myself I don't need you telling me what to do!" Cecilia replied hotly.  
I chuckled a bit, listening in and knowing that Conner knew how to get Cecilia how to do what he wanted.  
"What would mother want?" Conner asked and I could picture his blue eyes pleading with his sister.  
"No, no.... you're not bringing her into this!" Cecilia said the heat gone from her words.  
"Yes I am." Conner said determined, "You know she would want you to wear a dress. You've worn a gown every year for this celebration. You can't break the record."  
There was a frustrated sigh from Cecilia then Conner said, "Thank you dear sister for listening... now about Faith..."  
"I'll ask her." Cecilia interrupted.  
I shook my head and listened to the good byes before starting to wonder what they wanted with me. Then it hit me like cold water: ~They're gonna try to convince me to wear a dress...~ I shrugged my shoulders and sighed ~well I won't fight if they have one that's black. Black I'll wear.~  
There came a knock from the door and I sat up on my bed and called, "Come on in Cecilia."  
"How did you know it was me?" She asked opening the door and stepping inside my small room.  
"I'm physic." I said making my face look totally serious.  
"No, really." The blonde woman said closing the door.  
"I'm serious."  
"Truly?"  
"Of course."  
"Really?"  
"No." I said laughing as she made an angry face at me. "I heard your door open... these walls aren't that thick. If it's quiet enough here I can hear every word."  
"Oh so you just heard all that with my brother?" Cecilia asked coming and sitting on the end of my bed with me.  
"Yes... and I'll wear a dress _only_ if you have a black one." I said.  
"Why black? Someone die?" She replied.  
"Noooo I just like black." I said rolling my eyes.  
She laughed and said, "Come lets go take a look." She said holding a hand out to me as she stood.  
I took her hand and stood up. "Alright."  
Together we went to her room and started through her wardrobe searching for a black dress that would be appropriate for a celebration and, most importantly, would fit me.  
We found one that fit but wasn't party material, a second could have passed as a party dress but was too small, the only other black dress was too large and wouldn't have passed as a party dress unless the party was for the dead.  
"Well I guess I'm not wearing a dress." I said getting back into my own clothes.  
"No you are, if I have to wear a gown so do you." Cecilia said grabbing my arm before I could make a break for the door. "I'll keep looking for dark colors but you are not getting out of this."  
I frowned but sat down and let her continue looking for a dress. She pulled out a deep blue dress and called me over to try it while she continued looking. It was actually a quite pretty dress except for the fact that it was much to large. "Nice try but no." I said pulling it off and handing it back as she gave me a second blue one that was a bit lighter in color and would have fit if the waist was two inches wider, "Man have you gone through different phases." I said wiggling out of this dress, "Too large, too small... there has to be one that fits."  
Cecilia just shrugged and flung another dress my way.  
  
~~~~  
  
After about an hour passed we were both tired from the dress changing and I was getting sick of the brighter and brighter yellows and pinks being tossed my way.  
"Just one more look." Cecilia said returning to the wardrobe with a sigh.  
"Can't you just. change your mind?" I said hopefully.  
"Nope." Cecilia said shortly back.  
I frowned watching her sink into the wardrobe losing her face in the folds of bright cloth. "Here!" she said excitedly bring forth a green not quite dark but not really light either with a smile on her lips.  
I rolled my eyes and accepted the green dress. I slipped it over my head and Cecilia did the ties in the back. It fit! I looked at myself in her tall mirror and smiled. The dress matched my eyes and looked fit for a party. It had a square collar and the sleeves cut across my shoulders with a graceful sweep so as to not limit how high I could lift my arms. The bottom of the dress barely swept the ground and was embroidered with a crazy, erratic pattern that was repeated at the waist and on the collar.  
"Your beautiful." Cecilia breathed when I turned back to her.  
I shrugged, "This one will work." I said indifferently hiding my excitement carefully,  
Cecilia's jaw started working but no words came. She was in absolute shock.  
"What?" I said raising an eyebrow.  
"It will just 'work' that's it? You aren't happy about this?" she said barely above a whisper.  
"Sure I'm happy. Your point being.?" I said still indifferently.  
"You could show it." The blonde girl said gathering up the discarded dresses and hanging them back in the wardrobe.  
I smiled widely and said, "I'm soooo happy we finally found a dress for tomorrow! Oh thank you!" mock valley girl style.  
"That isn't funny." Cecilia said flatly as I joined her in putting the dresses away.  
"Oh really? I'm _so_ sorry!" I replied sarcastically.  
Once the dresses were put away and I was back in my own clothes the green dress in hand I said, "I'm going to hit the hay. Long day tomorrow."  
"Go ahead." Cecilia said pulling out a book and sitting on her bed.  
I opened the door and stepped out, but before closing it I called back, "And Cecilia, Thank you."  
She looked up and smiled, "Your welcome, Faith."  
I closed the door and went to my room happy. Really, truly happy. 


End file.
